ISSUANCE OF CURRENT-PERMITS

Transcription

1 September, 2013 ELECTRICAL SECTION ISSUANCE OF CURRENT-PERMITS The City s Electrical Section is the authority having jurisdiction regarding electrical technology within the City of Surrey, authorized by administrative agreement with the Province. Electrical contractors may work between several areas having jurisdiction, each of which may have different procedures. This bulletin is issued to clarify procedures concerning the issuance of currentpermits within the jurisdiction of Surrey only. Installers should consult with local authorities having jurisdiction, prior to undertaking work, to determine their requirements. References: BC Electrical Code BC Hydro Requirements for Secondary Voltage Revenue Metering City of Surrey Electrical Safety By-law Electrical Safety Regulation (B.C. Reg ) Safety Standards Act Safety Standards General Regulation (B.C. Reg. 105/2004) Review of BC Electrical Code Rule 2-016: BC Electrical code rule is defined as an administrative requirement which may vary between areas having jurisdiction. Within the jurisdiction of Surrey, rule is enforced as written: Current-Permits Except as provided in Rule 2-018, no reconnection, installation, alteration, or addition shall be connected to any service or other source of electric energy by a supply authority, electrical contractor, or other person, until a current-permit authorizing the supply of electric energy has been obtained from the inspection department. A current-permit must be issued by the City s Electrical Sections prior to BC Hydro connecting a consumer service or installing utility metering. The only exception is emergency service repair work performed outside of the normal office hours of the Electrical Section. BC Hydro may connect such a service at their discretion subject to:

2 - 2 - BC Hydro notifies the City s Electrical Section the next business day that an emergency service repair has been re-connected. BC Hydro is to supply the Electrical Section with the address, name and license number of the electrical contractor and details of the service repair. The repair does not include a service upgrade. The request for emergency re-connect is submitted to Hydro within 24 hours of the original incident resulting in the need for repair. Procedures for Obtaining a Current-Permit: 1. Licensed Electrical Contractor applies for and is issued an electrical installation permit by the City s Electrical Section authorizing the installation, repair or up-grade of an electrical service within the City. It is the responsibility of the licensed electrical contractor to obtain an electrical installation permit prior to performing regulated work within the City. The only exception is emergency repair work performed outside of the normal office hours of the Electrical Section. In such a case, the licensed electrical contractor must apply for an electrical installation permit from the City s Electrical Section the next business day. Procedures for performing emergency repairs are further outlined in section 12 of the Safety Standards General Regulations of BC. 2. Upon completion of regulated work, a field safety representative, employed by the licensed electrical contractor, is responsible to physically inspect work performed and confirm it is compliant with the Safety Standards Act and Regulation of BC. Once the field safety representative has confirmed compliance, they will submit a declaration of compliance to the Electrical Section clearly indicating the inspection request type and service details. Upon receipt of this declaration an inspection request will be scheduled by Electrical Section staff. 3. An electrical safety officer will be assigned the inspection request and determine if a physical audit inspection of the installation is necessary or if the inspection can be waived as per Electrical Safety Regulation 19 (6). 4. Upon completion of the service connection request process, the electrical safety officer will issue a certificate of inspection to the permit holder indicating the inspection request result. If the service connection request is approved and BC Hydro is required to either connect a consumer service and/or install metering, a current-permit will be issued and sent electronically to BC Hydro. **Final acceptance will not be granted to an electrical installation permit, whose scope of work includes consumer and or sub-service connections, until the required current-permits have been issued by the Electrical Section.

3 - 3 - Service Inspection Request Procedures for Single Dwellings Units (Excluding Town Homes): At the time of the consumer service inspection request, each consumer service panel and meter base must be terminated and the associated meter ready to be installed. Only BC Hydro or their authorized contractors may connect/disconnect supply service conductors or utility owned metering. Licensed electrical contractors issued an installation permit by the City of Surrey are not authorize by the City to disconnect and subsequently reconnect a consumer electrical service from utility conductors or remove a utility meter to facilitate a service repair/upgrade. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to request BC Hydro isolates the consumer service if regulated work is to be performed inside a meter base. This procedure ensures compliance with BC Electrical Code rule which states: Disconnection (see Appendix B) (1) No repairs or alterations shall be carried out on any live equipment except where complete disconnection of the equipment is not feasible. When performing an upgrade of an existing service within Surrey, licensed electrical contractors have two options: 1. Install a new, stand-alone consumer service. Submit an inspection request as outline in article B-2 of this bulletin. Once approved, a current-permit will be submitted to BC Hydro by the Electrical Section. Once the current-permit is received, BC Hydro typically requires 5 to 10 business days before the new service will be energized. 2. Arrange a same day disconnect/re-connect with BC Hydro and the City of Surrey. The licensed electrical contractor will contact BC to schedule a date and time for BC Hydro to disconnect the existing service and a tentative re-connect time. The licensed electrical contractor will ensure an inspection request has been submitted to the Electrical Section using the inspection request phone Electrical inspection requests submitted before 3:00pm will be scheduled the next business day. In addition to requesting an inspection, the licensed electrical contractor must call the morning of the inspection between 8:30 am and 9:15am to arrange a time for the electrical safety officer to attend. Once the installation is complete, a field safety representative employed by the contractor will physically inspect the installation to confirm compliance. The field safety representative must then fill in a declaration of compliance and attach to the consumer service panel for the attending electrical safety officer. If the installation is accepted, the electrical safety officer will install a temporary current-permit (orange sticker) onto the meter base (see figure 1). Once BC Hydro returns to the location, utility personnel will remove the temporary current-permit and attached to their work order as evidence the service is approved by the Electrical Section to be energized. A permanent current-permit will be sent electronically to BC Hydro upon completion of the inspection process.

4 - 4 - Figure 1 Service Inspection Request Procedures for New Town Home Projects: At the time of the consumer service inspection request, all sub-services must be complete (panels installed at end of all feeders) unless otherwise specified below. A field safety representative employed by the licensed electrical contractor shall physically inspect the installation and submit a declaration of compliance as outlined in clause B (2) of this bulletin. Once the service connection request is approved by the City s Electrical Section, a current-permit will be issued and submitted to BC Hydro. There are certain scenarios where a single electrical room supplies more than one town home building. As a result, the electrical contractor may not be able to terminate all sub-services fed from the single consumer service. Under this scenario the electrical contractor shall ensure all spare meter positions comply with clause of BC Hydro s Requirements for Secondary Voltage Revenue Metering which states: Spare Meter Positions Meter positions that are required for future additional loads to complete a project are defined as spare meter positions. Contractors are required to supply and install the following: A clear polycarbonate cover plate (e.g. Lexan) with tabs that plug into meter socket jaws and a meter sealing ring. The licensed electrical contractor will be responsible to request inspections of any additional subservices prior to energizing as per Electrical Safety Regulation 19 (4). Service Inspection Request Procedures for Complex Projects: At the time of the consumer service inspection request, the house panel is required to be terminated and associated house meter or temp/master meter ready to be installed. All additional sub-services terminated but not ready to be energized are to be locked in the off position by the licensed electrical contractor. A field safety representative employed by the licensed electrical contractor shall physically inspect the installation and submit a declaration of compliance as outlined in clause B (2) of this bulletin.

5 - 5 - Once the service connection request is approved by the City s Electrical Section, a current-permit will be issued and submitted to BC Hydro. The licensed electrical contractor will be responsible to request inspections of any additional sub-services prior to energizing as per Electrical Safety Regulation 19 (4). City of Surrey Declaration of Compliance/Inspection Request Form: It is the responsibility of the field safety representative who signs the declaration of compliance to ensure the installation is complete. In addition this individual is also responsible to ensure the declaration is filled in correctly and clearly identifies the inspection request type and service details. When submitting sub-service inspection request the field safety representative must include the following information in the comments section of the declaration of compliance for each sub-service: Amperage Voltage Phase Unit/suite numbers Please review the sample declaration below. Note: only Section D of the declaration has been included in Figure 2. Figure 2 v:\wp-docs\bulletins\issuance of current permits electronic copy.docx DRV 1/21/14 3:00 PM